


Not just anybody

by QueenXIV



Series: London City Stories [2]
Category: The Hobbit RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cute, It's sooo fluffy I'm gonna diiiiieeee, London City Baby, M/M, So much Fluff's gonna rot your teeth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-21
Updated: 2015-06-21
Packaged: 2018-04-05 10:55:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4177188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenXIV/pseuds/QueenXIV
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The guy had been to a lot of countries and knew a bunch of languages and what had itched Richard was why Lee had chosen Britain to stay and make his life in.</p><p> </p><p>Related to my other Aidean work "Maybe" although they can be read separately!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not just anybody

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Yuuwaku (http://archiveofourown.org/users/yuuwaku/pseuds/yuuwaku) for giving me the idea of making Richard and Lee's part of the story of how they became a couple! 
> 
> So, be aware that this is very very very fluffy and tooth rotting, it even made me puke rainbows while I wrote it soooo read it under your own responsibility!

Richard still remembered with clarity the day he had met Lee, the American, who had seemed so exotic at the moment. The guy had been to a lot of countries and knew a bunch of languages and what had itched Richard was why Lee had chosen Britain to stay and make his life in. They had met when Lee started working on the same play Richard had been chosen for. They were playing characters that were friends so they had to know each other, then, coffee dates were arranged. 

Soon they found out they had a lot in common and when Lee and Richard met the youngest actors in their theatre company, Aidan and Dean, their coffee dates were augmented to four people. 

Richard, still, loved meeting up with only Lee and listening to his stories about his travels and journeys around the world, how he had learnt all those languages. And he loved how Lee always ended his stories with “One day, I will take you there and you’ll see.” And oh, how he wished to one there with him. 

The American was charming and everyone who stayed long enough around him thought so. Richard was just maybe too shy, too closed to have the same effect on people, that’s why he had always wondered why Lee stuck around him so much. It must have been boring for the American to try and make Richard open up to him. Yet, Lee seemed to love the challenge that represented knowing the life of Mr. Armitage. 

So, as said, Richard still itched to know why Lee had chosen to stay in Britain and, like he had always done, not flee to another country in search of new adventures and more interesting people than him. So, in one of their coffee dates with Aidan and Dean, the last two obviously being late as always, Lee’s question didn’t surprise him, at first… 

“So, would you like to go out for dinner, ahm, let’s say, this Saturday?” The American had asked with one of his charming smiles while he stirred his coffee. 

“Sure.” Richard replied, smiling softly. Yet, he did not expect what came next. 

“As a date, I mean.” Lee clarified, sipping his coffee as if he had just commented on the weather. Richard nearly spit his coffee all over the table, but he coughed unattractively and his cheeks coloured profusely. 

“As a date?” Richard said with a strangled voice when he regained his breath. Lee smiled wickedly and nodded. 

“Yeah, wouldn’t you like to go on a date with me?” It was amazing, to Richard, how sure Lee was of himself. How he assumed that everyone walking on the earth would like to go on a date with him; and, if you ask Richard, he would tell you that it was true, because, honestly, that charming smile? Could turn gay the most heterosexual of men. And although Richard did not consider himself just heterosexual, Lee had been the first man he had been really attracted, both in personality and looks, to. So, yeah, he had felt flustered and nervous and, oh god, my first date with a man. 

“Sure.” Richard found himself repeating with the same strained voice. Luckily, or unluckily, Dean and Aidan arrived bouncing, commenting on something they had seen on the street and oh god, we just had to stop there, you know? That’s why we’re late! Gods, Richard, what’s up with you? Your face looks like a tomato! 

And as next Saturday approached Richard could feel himself growing more and more nervous, hanging into every smile and every words Lee directed at him. Yes, he was sure he was attracted to his friend, but… One thing was attraction, which has been obvious to him since the day he had seen his handsome face appear in the theatre, but, love? As in a romantic feeling? He wasn’t sure. He did sure appreciate him and felt a strong pull towards the American but love was such a strong word and Richard didn’t give his heart easily to anyone. Then, he thought, it was good that Lee wasn’t just anybody. 

Richard refused to let Lee pay the bill to the extraordinary fancy restaurant he had taken him to, so they split it and decided to go for a walk around London’s Hyde Park. They spoke quietly about banal things and Richard began feeling more and more at ease until Lee decided to grab his hand and hold hands while they were walking. Sure, the American was bold, Richard had notice as much as that, but it didn’t stop him from feeling unusually shy and embarrassed, even more than he usually was. When Lee had noticed his blush he had smiled softly and asked if he wanted to sit down somewhere. 

So, as they watched two squirrels fight for some nuts, Lee didn’t leave his hand. He kept inspecting it, tracing every vein and scar he found, a small smile in his face. He was so strange, Richard thought, in a good way though. 

“You know, when I came to London,” started Lee. “I planned to leave within three months of staying here, you know, like I always had done. Maybe travel to Edinburgh or to Dublin, maybe to Sweden or some place like this. I’ve never stayed too long in a city.” 

“Yet, you’ve been here for almost a year.” Richard commented, his eyes never leaving their joined hands. 

“Yes. Well, after two months of staying here I decided to join our theatre company, just for a bit of money before departing, you know?”

Where was Lee going with all of this? Was he telling Richard that he planned on leaving soon? The British’s chest constricted at that though and unconsciously his hand tightened around Lee’s. The American squished back and smiled. 

“But the I enjoyed, and still enjoy, so much being in this company and god, I have so much fun with you and Aid and Dean. I did not think that, well, it would be easy to leave this all behind. So I stayed, even though something in the back of my mind still told me I should leave, I should leave before… Before I found something here that would make me stay forever, that would not let me leave without… Without missing it too much.” 

“And… You found it?” 

“I did.” 

They stayed in silent for a few minutes, Richard’s breath becoming normal again. He would not leave, thank god, he wouldn’t leave him. Yet, Richard was afraid to ask him what was it, what was making him stay in that too wet place when he had been around the world. 

“Ask the question, come on, I know you’re dying to know.” Lee said chuckling. Richard tore his eyes from their joined hands and stared at Lee. The American was smiling enigmatically, one of his eyebrows raised. And he looked so handsome that it made Richard smile.

“What made you stay in Britain when you have seen almost the whole world, place probably much more beautiful than this wet city?” Richard asked, his eyes never leaving Lee’s. The American chuckled and bit his lip. 

“You.” 

Richard kind of had hoped that would be the answer, but told himself that only happened in fairy tales and other people’s lives, not to him, not his life. That’s why he couldn’t suppress his wide smile, or the laugh that erupted from him from pure joy. Lee laughed with him but the American’s laugh was stopped by Richard’s lips, that didn’t waste a second before kissing the other breathless. 

They didn’t know how much time they spent there, just kissing, they just knew that the squirrels weren’t there anymore when they stopped. Of course, after that fairy-tale confession they went back down to earth and had a heart to heart talk and decided to take it easy and for now, don’t tell none of his friends, before they were sure it was working. But it did work. And Richard was happy that Lee was not just anybody, because he couldn’t have stopped his heart from loving that man.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave kudos and comments to let me know if you liked it! :)


End file.
